Never Too Far From Home
by DigiFreak103
Summary: another one of my Ryuki's...what happens when Rika lived in the US for 7 years without telling anybody, and then ends up going back to Japan...how will the others react? read and find out...he he he...umm...RR please...THE FINALE IS HERE...
1. Prologue

Never Too Far From Home

DigiFreak103

DF103 – Hmm…I think I thought of this fic after a dream I had…I vowed that once I turn 18, that I'll wander off…and no one will ever know where I am…;;…yeah…umm…Takato, Henry, Rika, Jeri, Kazu, and Kenta are 24…and Ryo is 25…and the younger kids that were in the show are 17…(I can't tell you the names of the lil tamers cause that'll just ruin the fic, but you know who they are…) But once again…I am solo…due to the fact that Rick had to move away…but enough of that…onwards…to Never Too Far From Home…the prologue at least…

* * *

Rika Nonaka, 24, was walking home on the busy streets of New York City. She had left Japan when she was 17 and came to the United States to start over, with a brand new lifestyle. One that her mother couldn't buy. Rika left without telling anyone, leaving almost everything in Japan; leaving her disappearance, a mystery.

As Rika walked into the apartment she resided in, she felt a presence behind her. She turned around and saw nothing. She kept on walking and felt the same presence again. She whipped around and saw two teenage girls and one teenage guy.

"Who are you?" Rika managed to stutter out.

"Go back, Rika," the one with purplish-pink hair said.

"Everyone misses you, Rika," the boy with brown hair said, smiling.

'How do they know me, when I don't even recognize these people,' Rika thought.

"You have to prove you're still alive, Rika Nonaka," the girl with brown hair said.

"What? They think I'm dead?" Rika shouted.

"Yep, and as long as you're here, they'll keep thinking that," the browned haired boy said.

"No, I won't go. Let them think I'm dead. I'm happier here, than I was back in Japan," Rika retorted.

"Are you sure about that," the pink-purple haired girl said, grinning, "because we think you miss everyone especially one of the tamers."

The others nodded as Rika crossed her arms.

"And besides, who says you're going back to live there. You can just go and visit," the brown haired girl explained.

"Ha. I wouldn't be able to go for a couple of days antway because I don't have a plane ticket." Rika said, smiling at her remark.

One of them stepped forward and handed Rika the ticket. Her face faltered. Then she ran up to her room.

"I guess we couldn't convince her," one said.

Rika came down again, carrying a small duffle bag and her knap sack.

"Or maybe we did," another said.

Feeling defeated, Rika walked passed them, snatched the ticket and said, "Thanks, I guess." She walked out of the building and got a taxi to the airport.

* * *

DF103 – Well there's the prologue…if this was a lil confusing…just email me or something and I'll explain…what do you think so far? …next chapter will be out soon…so don't worry…till then…L8ter… 


	2. Joy Ride Back to the Past

Never Too Far From Home

Joy Ride Back to the Past

DF103 – I tried to type as fast as I can…so no more chit-chat…onto the fic…and I don't own digimon…he he he…Here's Never Too Far From Home – Joy Ride Back to the Past…

* * *

When Rika's taxi finally made it's way to the airport, Rika was angry at the driver. She got out with a fit, and slammed the door.

"Stupid driver. Doesn't know where he's going," Rika muttered to herself, as she walked through the crowd.

-FLASHBACK-

Rika got in the taxi and told the driver that she needed to go to the airport. The taxi driver looked confused, but drove anyways.

'What does he think he's doing! He's going the wrong way," Rika thought.

"Umm…excuse me, but you're going the wrong way," Rika said, trying to be calm.

"No, no. I go right way. This way…" the man said, turning around to Rika and pointing the way he was going.

The man obviously couldn't speak English well, so Rika didn't understand him. Rika then looked out the window and was that she wasn't anywhere near the airport.

"Hey, you're not going the right way," Rika said again, with a hint of anger.

"No, no. I go to airport. See…" the man said, taking his hands off the stirring wheel to show Rika a map that was upside down.

"THE STUPID MAP IS UPSIDE DOWN…" Rika yelled, then got a glimpse of the road, "KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE ROAD!"

The driver looked back at the road and saw that they were about to run a red light. He slammed the breaks on. Rika got out and told the driver to get in the passenger seat. He moved over, as Rika drove herself to the airport.

When they got there, Rika grabbed her things and was about to open the door when he said, "You need pay," the driver said, pointing to himself.

"You think I'm paying you for going the wrong way and almost killing me? I don't think so," Rika said, opening the door.

"Pay half or police," the driver said, holding up his cell phone.

Rika gave in and gave the driver half the price.

-FLASHBACK END-

Rika set her duffle bag on the conveyer belt, as she walked to find her boarding place. She took a glance at her watch.

"Great, 15 minutes till the plane leaves," Rika said.

After about ten minutes of searching, she found the place. She gave the lady her ticket.

"Thank you, your seat is in the first class area towards the front of the plane. Hope you enjoy your flight," the lady said.

'First class? Wonder where those three managed to get first class tickets,' Rika thought, as she walked through the gate.

Rika walked towards the front of the plane. When she got there, she sat in her seat and relaxed. The engines of the plane started as Rika dozed off.

Later, during the flight, Rika woke up and looked back at her watch.

"Oh, that's right. I have to adjust my time," Rika said.

Rika fixed her watch as a stewardess came up to her and asked her if she wanted anything. Rika felt a little hungry, so she took a bag of peanuts. The other items on the cart seemed to have a bad stench to them.

'Ha, they call this first class?' Rika thought, opening the pack.

Just then, Rika saw three shadows over her head. She turned around and saw the three teenagers from before.

"AHH…Why are you here," Rika asked, startled of their presence.

"Uhh…" one said.

"What? You think we're going to stay in the US?" another said.

"Oh, good point," Rika said, as she looked down.

"Glad to see that you changed your mind about going back," the other one said.

"So, who are you, anyw…" Rika started, as she looked up.

Instead of the three teens, Rika saw a little boy, hanging over the seat.

'Where'd they go?' Rika thought.

"Hello ladies and gentlemen. This is your captain speaking. We are about to land so please put your seat belts on, when the light comes on. Thank you and enjoy your time in Japan," the captain said.

"Well, this is it, I guess," Rika said, as she got up to get off the plane.

* * *

DF103 – That's it for now…my hands and arms hurt more than they did before so…yeah…please review…and yes I know that was a short chapter…and I will make them longer… 


	3. Where It All Started

Never Too Far From Home

Where It All Started

DF103 – Sorry for the stupid and pointless chapter…this one will be better…and longer…laughs nervously ;; umm…I dun own digimon…so…on to fic, Never Too Far From Home – Where It All Started…

* * *

Rika started to board off the plane and went through the gates. When she got her duffle bag, she headed towards West Shinjuku.

"Wow, it's been a long time since I've been here. So much has changed since I left," Rika said, to her self, wandering around the city of Tokyo.

"That's what happens when you leave the country for almost 7 years," one of the teens said, appearing from behind her.

"Do you stalk me or something because you guys are near me almost all the time," Rika said, once again startled of they're presence.

"We just thought you could use some help getting around," another said, walking behind Rika as the others followed.

"Right," Rika answered, "can you just help me gets to West Shinjuku? That is where I am supposed to go, right?"

When Rika turned around, she saw no one. All the people around her were staring at her, giving her 'I think you're crazy looks.' She continued walking, puzzled by their sudden appearance and disappearance.

As she walked towards the train station, Rika saw a small dark figure. Curious of what it was, Rika approached the figure. As she drew near the figure, some physical features became more distinct. It had some type of red fabric around, what looked like a neck, had two pointy pointy ears, and had an arrow-shaped tail. With every meticulous step, Rika tried not to scare whatever it was away. Kicking a small pebble, the figure looked back, then ran away. Catching a small glimpse of the face, Rika stood there like a stone.

"Was that…Impmon?" Rika asked herself.

Still confused, she boarded a train to West Shinjuku, her home city.

During the 30 minute ride, Rika was thinking about what had happened throughout the weird two days she's had.

'Wonder how those three kids know me? It's not like I've met them before. Or at least, I think. And what about that thing, before I got on the train? Was that Impmon or was I just hallucinating?' Rika thought.

"You seem to having a rough day, miss," a man said, walking up to her.

"No, I'm just thinking. What is it to you anyways?" Rika retorted, as she looked up to see who the man was.

The man had ruffled blue hair and had slate colored eyes. He seemed to be on his way home from work because he was in a suit, and carrying a suitcase.

"Oh, I was just asking. Sorry for bothering you," the man said, walking off.

'The hair. I recognize him from somewhere,' Rika thought.

The train came to a screeching halt and then a voice came over the intercom.

"We have arrived in West Shinjuku. Please be sure to take your belongings," the person said, as the doors opened.

Rika walked out and headed for the park. She approached a familiar looking bakery shop. Feeling a little hungry, she walked up to the door. There she saw a young man and a young lady at the counter, talking. The lady had brown, shoulder length, flowing hair and wore a green tank top with blue jean shorts, behind the apron she wore. The young man also had brown hair and wore a t-shirt and had khaki shorts, under his apron. Looking at the two of them, Rika recognized them as Takato and Jeri.

'They can't see me,' Rika thought, taking out her sunglasses and putting them on. She then walked in.

"Hello, welcome to Matsuki bakery. How may we help you?" Takato asked.

"Umm…just browsing. Thanks anyways," Rika hesitated, looking at all the rolls and breads.

"So, you new around here?" Jeri asked.

"Actually, I used to live around here. I'm just over on a visit," Rika said, hesitating once again, as she put a few creampuffs on the tray.

Rika walked over to the register and paid for her creampuffs.

"Thank you and hope you come again," both of them said.

Rika waved and then left the bakery. Once she stepped out, she noticed that it was already dusk.

"Darn, I have to look for a place to stay," Rika said to herself.

"I know where you can stay," a voice said.

"Huh?" Rika turned around and saw those three teens once again, "why do you always have to creep up on me like that?"

All three of them shrugged. They took Rika to an empty apartment room.

"Wait, how do you know, someone doesn't already live here?" Rika asked, suspicious of the three.

"Trust us," the boy with brown hair said.

"And another thing before you disappear on me or whatever. Why did I have to come back?" Rika asked.

"A lot of people miss you, Rika," one said.

"Who?" Rika asked, curious of what they were going to say.

"That, you'll have to find out on your own," another said.

The three of them walked off. Rika shut the door to the apartment room and looked around, inside. It was pretty big, space-wise and was already furnished with a few things like a table and three chairs, a drawer, a few beds, and a television set. Rika sat at the table, took out her creampuffs, and turned the TV on to watch the news.

"In other news," the news anchor announced, "rescue workers are still looking for the car that reportedly drove off the Shinjuku bridge. We don't know how many people were in the car, but the rescuers hope that they are safe."

"Wow, who would drive off a bridge like that?" Rika asked herself, taking another bite out of the sweeten bread.

She turned the TV off after she was done and went into the bathroom to brush her teeth. While doing that, she thought about what those three teens told her earlier.

'What did they mean by 'a lot of people miss me?' It didn't seem like it before I left this country.

-FLASHBACK-

It was the summer before some of the tamers' senior year in high school. All the tamers were at the old hang out, where Guilmon used to stay.

"So where should we go this summer?" Jeri asked.

"Even if you guys planned something, I probably wouldn't be able to go because my mom booked me for all these photo shoots," Rika said.

"Don't worry, Rika. There's always next summer," Henry said.

"Well, it's not like we're going to miss you or anything," Kazu said.

"You better take that back," Rika said, making fists.

"Nope, he only speaks of the truth," Kenta said, grinning.

"Well, fine," Rika said, getting up and kicking Kazu and Kenta on her way out.

Later that evening…

'I'll show them. If they don't want me here, then I'll leave,' Rika thought, as she packed all her clothes and prized possessions in a bag and took all the money she had with her.

'Luckily, mom and grandma aren't home. Hope they do better without, just as they said earlier,' Rika thought, taking one last good look at her room before turning the lights out and shutting the door.

-FLASHBACK END-

* * *

DF103 – There's chapter 3 for ya…hope it was a little better than the second one… - -;; …umm…please review…and I'll be back with another chapter…till then…L8ter…… 


	4. Do I Know You From Somewhere?

Never Too Far From Home

Do I Know You From Somewhere?

DF103 – I'm back…with a major headache…dun ask…anywayz…I'm here with a new chappie…yay…so without further ado…here's Never Too Far From Home – Do I Know You From Somewhere?…

* * *

Rika woke up the next morning, having the weird feeling of being out of place. She seemed to have fallen asleep in the chair she was sitting in from the night before. The TV was left on and which was still turned to the news channel.

"…reporters are at the scene now, where the car was believed to have driven off the bridge. We are in contact with reporter, Sherry Tins. Sherry, what's the news so far?" the news anchor announced.

"Well, the rescue workers have found the car that was supposedly driven off the bridge, but none of the people that were in the car were found. Rescue team is still searching. Reports have confirmed that the car did not drive off the bridge, but was hit by another car or truck that made it go off. That's all we have for now. This is Sherry Tins, reporting from Shinjuku bridge," Ms. Tins informed.

Rika then turned the TV off.

'It was probably some teenagers,' Rika thought, as she cleaned up her mess from last night.

KNOCK, KNOCK! There was someone knocking at the door. Rika went and opened the door and saw two men, in suits, carrying suit cases. One man had blue eyes with brown, stuck-up hair. The other man had a tealish colored hair, matching both his mustache and his eye color.

'Are they…Kazu…and Kenta?' Rika thought as she stifled her laugh.

"Hello ma'am. We are here with Shioda & Kitagawa Co. and we came to see if you are interested in buying one of our all-in-one cooker? It cooks rice, bakes, and fries, all at the same time. So are you interested?" Kazu said.

'Kazu and Kenta, both a door-to-door household appliance salesman. Ha, who would've thought?' Rika thought.

"Umm…that's okay. I'm not interested," Rika said, still trying to stifle her laugh. She was about to close the door when Kenta said, "Wait, I've seen you somewhere before."

Rika just stared at him and said, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Kenta looked at her and thought for a few seconds before he spoke again.

"I know…" Kenta started, as Rika started to get a little shaky of what he might say next, "you're the girl that won $100,000 off of the Japanese Jeopardy, aren't you?"

Rika stumbled after the last few words, but let out a soft sigh. She obviously wasn't recognized by the two of them, which made her happy.

'Kenta and Kazu. They are still as dim-witted as they were before I left,' Rika thought.

"Sorry, I am not. Good-bye," Rika said, as she closed the door.

'Weirdos. What time is it anyways?' Rika asked herself, glancing at her watch.

"Whoa, it's 10:30, already? Maybe I should get some breakfast and take a look around the city, to get to know it again," Rika said, rushing to the bedroom where she left all her clothes. She took a quick shower, got changed, and left the apartment builing.

Rika walked around the city for a while before walking back towards the bakery. Walking inside, Rika was greeted by the same people that were there yesterday.

"Good morning. How are you on this fine morning," Jeri asked, in her usual 'peachy' voice.

"I'm fine, thank you," Rika answered, grabbing a tray, then looking for something good to eat.

"I'm sorry for asking, but you said you used to live here, right? Then is there a possible chance that we've met before because you look very familiar without your sunglasses on," Takato asked, wearing his confused look.

"Hmm…I'm not sure, maybe. I really don't remember," Rika lied.

"Oh," Jeri said.

"Anyways, can you ring me up?" Rika asked setting the tray of rolls and blueberry bagels on the counter.

"So what are you planning on doing today?" Jeri asked, as she put the breads in a bag.

"650 yen," Takato said.

"Umm…probably just walking around the city," Rika answered, getting the money out and paying Takato.

"Ohh…may I make a suggestion? Go to the park. It's really nice," Jeri said, handing Rika the bag.

"Thanks," Rika said, putting her sunglasses on.

"No, thank you. Come back again," Takato said.

Rika left and once again, tried heading towards the park. She came across her old house and saw a group of people gathered around near the door. Rika walked up to the assembly of people.

"What's going on?" Rika asked one of the people.

"Supermodel, Rumiko Nonaka, is about to leave her house to visit her mother at the hospital," one said.

"Well, if she's on her way to the hospital, then why don't you just let her through?" Rika yelled out, "What if it was an emergency?"

Rika started to chase all the people away. Worried about her mother, she went to see if she was alright, and wanted to know what happened to Seiko.

"Hello, err…Ms. Nonaka," Rika started as she walked up to Rumiko, "how are you?"

"I'm fine thank you," Rumiko said, locking the door to the house, "I'm on my way to see my mother. The doctors called me and said that she had another heart attack."

'Grandma had a heart attack?' Rika thought.

Rumiko, who was too busy fiddling with her keys, looked up at Rika for the first time.

"Oh my goodness," Rumiko said, "you look so much like my daughter."

"Umm…really? Never heard that one before," Rika hesitated, watching Rumiko's reaction through her glasses.

Rumiko took a look at her watch and said, "Oh, dear. I'm late. Nice talking to you," walking off towards the hospital.

Rika continued to walk towards the park, passing by all the people that stared at her.

'Ha…just like old times,' Rika thought, staring back at the people.

Finally, she made it to the park. The trees were swaying in the fall breeze.

"I might have refused to come back, but a small part of me is glad that I did," Rika said, sitting down on the park bench. She started to rummage through her bag of baked goods, and picked out a blueberry bagel. She watched all the people pass by, and all the kids play at the playground near by. She also saw couples walking by, hand in hand.

'I wonder if he's still here. I haven't seen him yet,' Rika thought, thining about a particular person.

* * *

DF103 – HAHA…I'll leave it there…LOL…guess who…oh…which reminds me…the three people that keep on 'bugging' Rika…are people you should know from the show…that's all the clues I'm giving you…cause some people that reviewed wanted to know and stuff so…yeah…and this is a definite Ryuki so…just so there are no misconceptions…well…till next chapter…please review… 


	5. When You Came Back To My Lonely Heart

Never Too Far From Home

When You Came Back To My Lonely Heart

DF103 – …umm…nothing I really have to say about this chapter except…enjoy…oh and reviewer, Sam…hopefully your question is answered in this chapter…now on with Never Too Far From Home – When You Came Back To My Lonely Heart…

* * *

Rika spent the rest of her day, roaming around the city, getting to see the new and old side of the place. She had noticed, on her way home, that the old Hypnos building was still there, and she also walked by the photo shoot, where she spent agonizing hours, during her childhood. There were a lot of new clothing shops, where teenage girls went in and out happy because they got the new line of clothes.

As the sun started to set, Rika made her way up the apartment steps, as she took out the keys that the teens gave her.

'Hmm…surprisingly, those three haven't bugged me today,' Rika thought, looking for her room number.

Little did she know, the three teenagers were right behind her the whole time. Earlier, before Rika came back to the apartment, the three of them switched the apartment numbers on the doors. Who's room will Rika get, no one knows…

'Hmm…could've sworn my room was here,' Rika thought, 'oh…there it is.'

Rika tried to unlock the door, when a tall, tan, muscular man with dark chocolate brown, azure eyes came and said, "Umm…do you need help, miss?"

Rika turned around and saw the man, surprised to see the familiar face.

"I believe this is my room," he said, "because of the big dent in the door," pointing to the dent.

"But, my room number is 26," Rika said, pointing to the number on the door.

"Oh, the kids around here always switch the numbers around to confuse everyone," he said, unlocking the door that Rika had tried to open.

"Oh, well how do I go about finding my room?" Rika asked pointing to the other doors, "all the others are switched, too."

"You'll have to wait till tomorrow because I'm pretty sure everyone's asleep already," the man explained, "you can stay over with me, till tomorrow, seeing that you need a place to stay for the night."

"Sure, I guess," Rika said, "I really don't have a choice, do I?"

The man flashed a smile over his face and then it hit Rika.

"Ryo," Rika whispered, staring at him.

"Excuse me, did you just say Ryo?" the man asked, looking into Rika's eyes.

"Umm…sorry, wrong person, I think," Rika said, turning around, making her hair fall out of it's ponytail.

"Rika, is that you?" the man asked, looking at Rika's red-orange colored hair.

At the sound of her name, Rika turned around and looked back at the man, now revealed as Ryo.

"It is you," Ryo said, pulling Rika into an unexpected hug, "all of us thought you were dead. Does everyone else know you're here?"

Rika was happy that Ryo remembered her.

"I've seen everyone around, but I don't think they know it was me," Rika answered, looking back at Ryo.

"Come in. So much has gone on since you were gone," Ryo said, as Rika entered his apartment.

Amazingly, his apartment was spotless. All the dishes were properly put in the cabinets, and not a single piece of clothing was on the floor.

"I guess you still have that "Mr. Perfect" touch," Rika said, looking around some more.

"Yeah, I guess," Ryo said, bringing out some hot cocoa, for the two of them.

Rika sat down and said, "So, what do you do for a living?"

"Since my dad died, I inherited the money and the business he owned. He was an engineer, so now I'm one, too," he answered, setting the mugs on the table.

"Wow, if you're an engineer, then why do you live here, and not like a big house or something?" Rika asked, taking a sip of her cocoa.

"It's better to conserve your money, rather then spend it on something you really don't need, don't you think? It's not like I have a family to take care of or anything, so why not just get a place that suits me," Ryo said, taking a seat across from Rika.

"Good point," Rika said, feeling unusually nice to Ryo.

"So, where have you been for the last, what, seven years?" Ryo asked.

"I've been in the States," Rika answered.

"Wow, you must've been lucky to get in the States," Ryo said.

"Well, I had connections. But it sorta feels good to be back in West Shinjuku," Rika said, giving Ryo, one of her rare smiles.

"Cool, wish I could've gone," Ryo answered.

"So, how are the others? Like I said before, I saw them, but I really didn't get a chance to talk to them," Rika said.

"Well, if you saw them, I guess you know that Kazu and Kenta are door-to-door salesmen, Takato owns the bakery and is dating Jeri, who works at the bakery, Henry works for the new and improved Hypnos, and Alice is traveling the world with her dad. I haven't heard anything about the others," Ryo said.

"That explains why Henry was in that suit, and why Jeri and Takato looked like they were flirting," Rika said, laughing.

They both talked practically the whole night, each telling stories of what happened throughout the years that have passed.

* * *

DF103 – If it seems like it's over…it ain't…the mystery is still shrouded upon those three…I would like to thank…so far…the reviewers…thanx guys for the reviews, my fuel to writing…I also want to thank Angel13 for the 'Ryo being a neighbor' idea…and I also want to thank crystal-digiqueen for the description and job idea for Ryo (read her fic Phases…it's good)…please review…and till next chappie…PEACE 


	6. Rude Awakening Back To Reality

Never Too Far From Home

Rude Awakening Back To Reality

DF103 – "I'm Sak and I am back…a real name is something I lack…all I know is that I've gone wack!" gets stares …uhh…laughs nervously…wrong place…anywayz…I have my fic all planned out in my head…I just need to get it together so dun hurt me if I dun update for a while…a lot of questions were brought up from the last chapter so I'll try to answer those in this chapter or the future chapters…umm…scratches head…what else…oh…duh…I dun own digimon…and uhh…I hope you read and review…

* * *

Rika woke up on the couch. She felt like she woke up from a long peaceful dream.

'Gosh, it really does feel great to be back,' Rika thought, getting up.

Upon doing this, she saw Ryo in the kitchen cooking breakfast.

"Hey, pumpkin…sorry, couldn't help myself, to call you that. You know, for old time sake," Ryo said, flipping the pancake.

"Sure, Mr. Legendary Tamer, keep telling yourself that," Rika said, walking towards the balcony door, which was open to let the cool, fresh, autumn breeze through.

Rika's hair flowed with the gentle wind. She let out a soft sigh as she stepped out to see the view of the city.

'Wow, she looks so angelic like that. I'm really glad she has come back here, and to know that she's safe,' Ryo said, gazing at Rika, burning the pancake. Turning around to see what was burning, Rika caught Ryo staring at her. Realizing this, Ryo turned back to the pan and took the remains of the pancake and threw it out.

While pouring another scoop of batter, Ryo glanced at Rika to see if she was still staring at him. Rika looked at him with a raised eyebrow, and with her arms crossed. Then, the door to Ryo's room creaked open. Out came a purple dinosaur-like creature.

"Is that Monodramon?" Rika said, forgetting about Ryo's stare.

"Umm…yeah, all the digimon came back after Henry and Alice started to work at Hypnos,"

'So I did see Impmon that one time at the train station,' Rika thought.

"Well, do you know if Renamon came back?" Rika asked.

"We told her that you were dead, since that's what they said because you were nearly gone for a year, without a trace. She left and we never saw her again," Ryo explained, sadly.

"Oh…well I guess that's my fault for leaving, isn't it?" Rika said, sighing.

"Come on, cheer up. You want breakfast?" Ryo said, placing another pancake onto the stack.

"Sure, I guess, as long as you didn't poison them," Rika said, smirking at him.

"Don't worry, I didn't," Ryo answered back, setting the large plate of pancakes on the table.

"I'm going to go see if I can find my door so I can change," Rika said, walking towards the door, clutching her keys.

Rika went out and saw that all the numbers were back at their rightful places. "Hmm…weird," Rika thought, as she walked over to her room door.

Rika took a very quick shower and went back to Ryo's place. "Welcome back, Rika," Ryo said, inviting her in.

"Umm…thanks," Rika said, hearing the distant sound of the TV. When Rika got to the table, which is where the TV is, she heard something devastating.

"Today is definitely a sad day. Rumiko Nonaka and her mother is pronounced dead after a few gun shots were heard at the local Shinjuku hospital. Nonaka was visiting her mother after she had a heart attack yesterday. They both died minutes ago from bullet wounds through their chest. Their attorneys have asked close family friends to gather at the will reading. One of their attorneys said, "This family has gone through a lot with Rumiko's divorce, the loss of her daughter, Rika a few years back, and especially the press that has constantly followed her. We just hope that they are now a happy family again, and they will be missed." The people that shot these two have been captured and is being sent to the city jail. They may face a death sentence. The will reading, that was talked about earlier, will be held at the Nonaka house at 1pm, this afternoon…"

Rika was paralyzed. The news hit her like a speeding truck. Ryo approached her cautiously, hoping she wouldn't snap at him.

"Rika, are you okay?" Ryo asked.

"…" Rika turned around and faced Ryo.

"I'm here for you, Rika," Ryo said.

"Everyone that I once loved is gone. Everyone but…" Rika's voice trailed off.

"Everyone, but who?" Ryo asked.

Rika didn't answer and ran out the door. Ryo stood there wondering what he did wrong. He then, went to run after her. First he ran to the Matsuki Bakery.

"Hey, Takato, Jeri, did you see Rika around here?" Ryo asked.

"Ryo, Rika's dead, remember?" Takato said, looking a little confused.

"No, she's not. She's been in the US for the past 7 years she's been gone," Ryo said.

"So that nice lady that came in was Rika. I knew she looked familiar," Jeri said.

"So, did you see her?" Ryo asked.

"Nope, we haven't seen her since, I think yesterday morning. Why?" Takato asked.

"Didn't you hear on the news? Her mom and grandma were killed this morning," Ryo said.

"Oh my gosh. Poor Rika. She must be so sad," Jeri said.

"Exactly, why I'm looking for her. If she comes by, call me on my cell," Ryo said running out of the bakery.

At the park…where Guilmon's hideout is…

Rika went inside the old hideout and sat down. She looked up at the walls and found a lot of newspaper articles, magazine cut-outs, and pictures of the tamers, especially the time when they defeated D-Reaper, hung up.

'Whoever said memories are good, can go jump off a bridge,' Rika thought, as she looked at the articles.

Just then, Rika heard distant footsteps coming towards the hideout. A little boy, then walked in, carrying some more pictures and articles.

"Hey, who are you?" the little boy asked.

"What is it to you, kid?" Rika asked, staring at the little boy.

'This kid reminds me of someone,' Rika thought.

"Hey, you look like Rika Nonaka, the girl that died a long time ago," the boy said, holding up a picture.

Rika let out slight chuckle, looking at the old picture that Kenta took when they first got to the Digital World.

"Well, I guess you know all of these people then," Rika said, pointing at all the tamer pictures.

"Yup, my mommy and my daddy told me that these people saved the world from destruction," then little boy said, hanging up the papers he brought in.

"You want to know a secret about one of these people, kid?" Rika asked, with a smirk on her face.

"Yeah, tell me, please," the little boy said.

"I am Rika Nonaka," Rika whispered, in the kid's ear.

The little boy gasped. "Holy cow, are you a ghost?" the little boy asked.

"No, I was in another country," Rika said, as her voice started to sound depressed again.

"Oh, wow, now I've met all the tamers," the little boy said, then noticed that Rika didn't look happy.

"Oh my gosh, I forgot about what happened to your mom and grandma. I heard it on TV. I'm so sorry," the little boy said, walking up to her and hugging her.

"I'm fine, its okay. By the way, what is your name, and how do your parents know me?" Rika said, looking down at the kid.

* * *

DF103 – I'm stopping here…he he he…I think I made this chapter long enough…anywayz…I'll back in a day or to with another chappie…so…till then…L8ter… 


	7. You're Who's Kid?

Never Too Far From Home

You're Who's Kid?

DF103 – Hiya people…I'm back and…uhh…yeah…anywayz…I know most of the the reviewers were askin' who the kid was…so you'll see in this chapter…umm…I dun own digimon…but I own tamer plushies grabs them and hugs them …umm…yeah…now to Never Too Far From Home – You're Who's Kid?…

* * *

"I'm Richard and I'm six," the little boy said, holding up 6 fingers, "my mommy is Riley and my daddy is Yamaki. They said that they helped you get out of the Digital World."

"Wow, no wonder you looked so familiar. You know for a six year old, you know a lot of vocabulary," Rika said, stooping down to his height.

Richard smiled showing his two missing front teeth.

"I get it from my dad, I think," he said, putting the papers down and looked at Rika.

"That sounds pretty reasonable," Rika said.

"So, do you like him, Rika?" Richard said, looking at her, curiously.

"What do you mean? Who's 'him'?" Rika asked, wondering who he was talking about.

"Mr. Akiyama. Do you like him?" Richard asked, walking over to Rika.

"What is it to you, Richard?" Rika retorted.

"Just asking. Whenever I saw him, he used to talk about you; how a great person you were, how much you loved to fight, and a lot of other stuff," Richard said.

There was a slight pause. Rika and Richard kept on exchanging glances at each other. Then, a distant person was heard saying, "Richard! Where are you!"

As soon as that was heard, a young lady, about Rika's age, with blonde, shoulder length hair walked in.

"Alice?" Rika said, at the first sight of her.

"Huh? Do I know you?" the lady asked.

"Ms. McCourt, that's Rika. Don't you remember her?" little Richard asked, tugging on Alice's shirt.

"Rika? Is that really you?" Alice asked.

"Yup, up and living," Rika said, "I've been in America for the past seven years."

"America? I loved it there when I went with my dad," Alice said.

"Yeah, great place," Rika said.

"Well, Yamaki wants Richard to come back to headquarters, so…"

"No, wait, I have to finish putting these up," Richard said, picking up the pile of papers and starts to hang them.

"Okay," Alice said, walking over to Rika.

The two of them talked for a few minutes before another voice was heard.

"Hey, Yamaki and Riley are getting worried, you two," a man said, as he stepped into the hideout.

Rika looked at him and then remembered, he was the man that she first met on the train. He turned to her and stared for a few moments.

"You look familiar," he said.

"Of course she looks familiar, Henry. She's Rika," Alice said, acting like she knew it all.

"Rika's dead, Ms. I-Think-Know-It-All," Henry said.

"No, I'm not. I'm here, in person. I was in America," Rika said.

"I can recognize that voice anywhere. It really is Rika," Henry said.

"Rika? Where?" said a green and white rabbit-like creature.

"Terriermon!" Richard said, running over to him.

Terriermon looked around in the hideout. It's been a while since he's been in here again.

"You really fixed this place up, Richard," Terriermon said, looking around some more.

Rika watched him as he walked around.

'I wish I could see Renamon again,' she thought.

Then Terriermon's eyes met Rika's.

"Ahh…she's really back! And I thought she was gone for good! Now she's come back to haunt me!" Terriermon said, hiding behind Henry's leg.

"Tact, Terriermon. Tact," Henry said.

"Man, after all these years, he still doesn't understand the meaning of that word, does he?" Rika said, chuckling a little.

Henry smiled, and said, "Well, whether Terriermon likes it or not, it's good to see you again."

"Thanks," Rika said.

"Richard, are you done yet? We really should be going before your parents get mad at both of us," Alice said.

"Coming," Richard said, "I'll see you later, Rika," as he waved good-bye and ran to catch up with a Alice and Henry.

Meanwhile…

Ryo searched across the city for Rika. Whenever he asked someone if they have seen her, they'd just say something like, "You crazy? She's dead," or "Who are you talking about?"

Ryo decided to rest, on a bench in the park. With cold sweat running down the side of his face, he leaned back, hoping Rika would be okay.

'Rika, wherever you are, I hope you don't get yourself in trouble,' Ryo thought, standing back up to resume the search.

Back to Rika…

Rika got up and looked around the hideout some more.

'Wow, he really did fix this place up,' Rika said, looking around.

She walked around until she stepped on soft ground. She knelt down and dug up whatever was buried there. To her surprise, it was a box full of Digimon cards.

"I bet Richard got these cards from Takato," Rika said, looking at the various cards in the box, "those were the days."

Rika was about to walk out when she heard a soft voice.

"Rika?" it asked.

* * *

DF103 – It's my good friend, Cliffie…and he's come back…anywayz…Cliffie says that if you dun review…he won't go away…so please review…well till next time…PEACE 


	8. Piece By Piece

Never Too Far From Home

Piece By Piece

DF103 – Wassup! I am back once again…I finally found my twisted notebook of unused ideas… …and now I'm back on track again…I think…first of all…I do apologize for this fic to "not having enough Ryo x Rika" in it…I am writing a sequel to this fic though, that is completely Ryo x Rika…I am out with another chapter…my friend Cliffie finally left…so on with the story…Never Too Far From Home – Piece By Piece…

* * *

"Rika?" a dark shadow asked.

Rika tried to see the outline of the figure. The being slowly crept out of the shadow.

"Renamon," Rika said, as she ran towards her.

"Rika, I knew you were out there somewhere," Renamon said.

"Am I glad to see you," Rika said, hugging the graceful yellow fox digimon.

"Why did you leave, Rika, why?" Renamon said, with a hint of anger in her voice.

"Well, I didn't like the way I lived here, so I moved to the US," Rika said.

"Without telling any of us?" Renamon said.

"Yeah, I guess I wasn't thinking at the time," Rika explained

"Are you planning on staying?" Renamon asked.

"I don't know, these three kids came and said I needed to come back here," Rika explained.

"You're not going back, are you?" Renamon said, shuddering to think what Rika's answer would be.

"No, I'll probably stay. I guess I missed West Shinjuku a lot more than I thought," Rika said, giving Renamon a reassuring smile.

"Good, I don't know if you know this, but everyone misses you," Renamon said.

"Yeah, Ryo told me," Rika said, walking out, "come on, lets go back to my place."

Renamon followed Rika, as they crossed the busy streets. Everyone started to stare until, they finally recognized who the two were.

"She's really back! It's Rika and her digimon, Renamon. Everyone should remember her from when that red blob attacked," a man said, pointing directly to the two of them.

A mob of people came rushing towards them. Rika and Renamon started to run as more people, especially reporters, joined in on the chase. As they ran, Ryo heard the people yelling Rika's name, so he followed them as well.

As they ran, Rika made her way towards her old neighborhood, where her old house was, to lose at least some of the people. She and Renamon, ran into one of the gates of the houses. Little did they know, it was the gate to Rika's old house. They heard the crowd of people rush by the two gates. Then, they hear distant voices from inside the house.

"…and now we will start the will reading," a voice said, from inside the house.

"Rika, I think you should take a look at this," Renamon said, looking through one of the windows.

Rika walked up to the window and saw some of her possessions held up. Surprised at the sight, Rika ran in to stop them from giving her things away.

"Wait, I'm alive!" Rika said, barging into the house.

"Rika, is that really you?" one of the attorneys asked.

"In the flesh," Rika said.

"Prove it," the other attorney said, anxious to see if it really was Rika.

"Well, I have this," Rika said, taking out her old digi-vice.

"Just that? Little kids these days buy those in stores, so that one could be a replica of the real one," the attorney asked.

"Oh yeah, well how about this," Rika said, opening the door, "Renamon."

Renamon appeared almost instantly after she was called. The attorneys got up and looked over Renamon. They both turned to Rika and gave her a smile.

"Welcome back, Miss Nonaka," said one of the attorneys.

"We missed you a great deal, as well as your mother and your grandmother. If they were here, I'm sure they would've been happy to see you," the attorney said.

"Thanks," Rika said.

"Well, since you're here, you get to claim all the things your family left," a voice said from behind her.

Rika turned around and saw Jeri's little step brother, Masahiko.

"You know that Jeri and the other tamers were really sad when they heard that you were claimed dead?" he asked, "they'd be pretty mad right now if they saw you here."

"They probably know that I'm around, since Mr. Perfect, knows that I'm here and that he probably told them already," Rika said.

"Oh, well, glad you're back Rika. I better get going, I promised mom and dad that I'll be home whenever this was done. I'll see you around," Masahiko said, walking out of the house.

"I bid you good luck, Miss Nonaka," the attorneys said, as they shook hands and left.

Rika shook hands with everyone else that left, and then closed the door. Renamon followed Rika as she looked around the house, getting acquainted with it again.

"So Renamon, what have you been up to, while I was gone?" Rika asked, walking towards her old room.

"Throughout the day, I stayed in that hideout, keeping an eye out for little Richard, and at night, I wandered along the streets," Renamon explained, opening the door to Rika's room.

"Wow, sounds like me, except I basically worked all day," Rika said, looking into the room.

She saw that every piece of furniture was in the exact same place as it was before she left. On her faded, dusty bed, she saw three human figures. Rika saw a small outline of their faces, then recognized them, as the three teens that have been following her.

"Miss us?" one asked, as it turned towards her.

"We don't have much time, but we just wanted to let you know that if you don't leave soon, the mob of people will eventually find you again," another said.

The third person nodded. Rika, looking shocked, she looked over to Renamon.

"Did you see that?" Rika asked.

"See what?" Renamon answered back.

Rika looked and pointed back at the bed, only to find that the three of them were gone.

'Hmph, they probably went and hid somewhere,' Rika thought.

"Nevermind, come on. Let's go back to the apartment I'm staying in right now. There's a better chance that people won't find us there than here," Rika said, walking out the door of her room.

This time, Renamon carried Rika to her apartment. That way no one would've seen them and they wouldn't be chased again.

Simultaneously, Ryo was on his way to room also, because he was exhausted from his search for Rika. Almost as soon as he got to his floor, he found Rika and Renamon, standing by the door, trying to unlock the door.

"Rika, there you are!" Ryo shouted to her.

"Look, I'm sorry for leaving. I was just upset and I needed to get out," Rika said.

"I was so worried that you might've gotten hurt or something," Ryo said, embracing her into a hug.

"Let go of me," Rika demanded, shoving him away, harshly.

"I'm sorry…for caring," Ryo said, sadly, as he unlocked the door to his apartment room.

Rika stood there in awe. Renamon and Rika stood there, watching Ryo take one last look at them, before he went inside and closed the door.

* * *

DF103 – AHH…I made a sad end-of-the-chapter…what will happen next? Since I don't want the next two chapters to be short…I'm combining my last two chapters together…so the whole story will come back together…in the next and final chapter…like I said in the beginning…I'm making a sequel of this…pure Ryuki…with little Richard on the side laughs so…please review…and I do accept flames…although I don't flame anyone…but I still accept them…till next time…PEACE 


	9. Never Knew You Could Care Too Much

Never Too Far From Home

Never Knew You Could Care Too Much

DF103 – I lied! I LIED! There are two more chapters…this is one of them…this chapter will be written through the eyes of Ryo and through the eyes of Rika…just because Ryo deserves some of the spotlight…and he'll basically create the turning point of the fic…I think…maybe not…oh well…the first part of this chapter was inspired by…'Outside' by StainD…so I dun own digimon…and now here's Never Too Far From Home – Never Knew You Could Care Too Much…BTW…my friend Richard is helping me on this, cause I dun know how to think like a guy…

* * *

Ryo's POV

I took one last glance at them before I went inside. My heart felt as if it shattered into many pieces; pieces that no one could possible put back together. Is it possible to care for a person too much?

The room is dark, with all the curtains shut. Even though it's still about four o'clock in the afternoon, I left them shut and turned the lights on. Through the years that Rika's been gone, I feel I have lost everything. Probably explains why I've become I little more sensitive.

I never really meant to anger Rika in anyway. The way she manages to retort all the things she'd say to me, flattered me, which is probably why I love her so much. But, she seemed to never mean what she said, until today.

What if she doesn't have the same feelings for me? I walked into my room and turned the TV on. Laying down on my bed, and not paying attention to what the TV was saying, I stared blankly at the ceiling.

My mind dozed off and started to think about Rika. It's hard not to think about her when she's really the only girl you like. Am I afraid of failure? Afraid that some other person will get her before I do?

Maybe if I never teased her the way I did, she wouldn't have pushed me away, like she did with everyone else. I have to think of a way to make it up to her.

As I processed the events that has happened in the last few minutes, a strange deliberation came into mind. I thought Henry and Suzie lived in the room Rika is in. Yeah, they have to be living there because I found them that place. Henry did say that he was going to stay in a different place for a while, though, because he couldn't concentrate on his work. So then what happened to Suzie? Now this is starting to confuse me. I did see her hang out with Ai and Mako, one night.

All of a sudden, my attention turned to the TV.

"Sherry Tins here with another report about the recent car accident. Just to recap, rescue workers have been searching for the missing people. A few days ago, they have found a car in the water. Now with the new information. There were three bodies found in the water near Shinjuku bridge. We have had a few people try to make an identification of these three people. They were unsuccessful, so far. They are still looking for people to identify these people. If you…"

I turned the TV off, not wanting to listen to the news right at the moment. Anyway back to my moment of thought.

I sat up and grabbed my jacket that is next to me and stood out. I couldn't think straight at a moment like this, so I decided to go take a walk.

Rika POV

"He looked so sad, when he went in," I said, turning towards Renamon.

"Rika, I don't know if you have noticed this, but he cares for you," Renamon said.

I stood there, staring at Renamon. I started searching around her emotionless face, to see if she had some type of grin on her face. I see none. She's telling the truth. I thought she was joking.

Looking away from Renamon, I continued unlocking the door into my part of the complex. Then a sudden thought struck me. I turned back around to Renamon.

"You sound so sure of yourself. Why do you think that?" I asked.

I saw Renamon, grin.

"When you were gone, Ryo would sometimes come over to the old hideout and talk to Richard. Most of the things they talked about was you, Rika," she said to me.

I cannot believe those words came out of her mouth. I mean, sure Ryo would flirt sometimes, but he does that with almost all the girls. I put the thought aside, and went back to opening the door. When, I finally got the door to budge. Renamon went inside while I looked towards Ryo's door again, to see if he would come out. Nothing.

I soon regret what I did and said to him. Wait, why do I care how he feels. He's just like all the rest of the guys. Or is he? Am I starting to have feelings for him?

I shook my head, and went inside. Renamon looked at my in an awkward way.

"Isn't this place Henry and Suzie's?" she asked.

"I don't know. These three kids said no one lives here," I said.

"Hmm, could have sworn they did, or at least Suzie anyways. Henry's out somewhere else," Renamon said.

Soon, I saw the three people again, standing behind Renamon. They seemed to be mouthing the words, "go apologize to him." I looked at them for a second until Renamon said, "Rika what are you looking at?"

I looked at her and said, "Nothing, nothing."

She turned around and that's what she saw, nothing. I wondered myself how they could flee that fast. But once again, I took they're advice, and walked towards the door.

"Make yourself at home, Renamon. I'm going to go take a walk," I told her before shutting the door behind me.

I walked down the hallway of the complex, when I saw Ryo walking towards the door.

3rd Person POV

"Ryo! Wait, I want to apologize," Rika said, rushing over to Ryo.

Ryo turned around and glanced at Rika, before turning around again.

'It hurts to even look at her,' Ryo thought, clutching the door handle.

"I'm…sorry, Ryo. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings," Rika said, looking down at her shoes.

Ryo looked at her again and gave her a weak smile.

"I'm sorry, too, Rika, for all I've done in the past to annoy you," Ryo said.

Rika gave him a rare smile, and walked up to him and gave a hug.

"Umm, I gotta run. I'll see you later, Rika," Ryo said.

"Okay, see you later," Rika answered, as she watched him walk out.

* * *

DF103 – IT'S NOT OVER YET…SO DON'T TUNE OUT! laughs nervously…anywayz…the last chapter (for sure) is going to wrap this all up and stuff…and I'll be working on the sequel I told you people about…if you thought, in anyway, that the ending of this chapter was unexpected…dun worry…it got me by surprise too…I want to thank my friend, Richard who helped me write Ryo's POV…well gotta run…till next time…PEACE 


	10. Just Remember That You’re Never Too Far ...

Never Too Far From Home

Just Remember That You're Never Too Far From Home

DF103 – The finale is finally here…how will the story end, even I do not know…this will be the longest chapter I will ever have…I think…laughs nervously hmm…let me think…I have a few things I have to say about my flaws in the fic…one thing…Alice's last name is McCoy…I think i put McCourt or something…and also…I found that Yamaki, isn't Yamaki's first name…it's Mitsuo…hmm I think those two are the major ones…other than the grammar and spelling I think it's all good…well I dun digimon…but I do own little Richard…umm this chapter is a song-chappie…that's how I got the title of the fic…so I guess I dun own the song either…I guess that's it…so onwards to Never Too Far From Home – Just Remember That You're Never Too Far From Home…

* * *

Rika headed back to her room, thinking about many different things, including Ryo.

'Does he really like me? More over, do I like him?' Rika repeatedly asked herself.

She reached for the door knob and opened the door. Right before her eyes, she saw three pale, almost translucent people sitting in the three chairs at the table. Rika didn't see Renamon anywhere.

"Who…are you?" Rika asked, her voice quivering with every word.

"I told you we should've told her the last time we saw her," one said to the other.

"You don't recognize us, Rika?" another asked, looking at Rika.

"Hmm…after all these years, she remembers everyone else, but us. That just makes me sad," one said.

"Wait, I'm supposed to know you three?" Rika asked, regaining her composure a little.

"Yes," one answered.

"Hurry up, the gate isn't going to stay open forever, Suzie," one said, looking at the pink haired girl.

"Hmm…I think it's too late, Mako. Come on, Ai, we have to go," the pink haired girl said.

"You three are…Suzie, Ai, and Mako? But…" Rika said, startled of what was happening.

The three of them put they're hand up and told her to say no more.

"Tell Henry, I love him, as well as everyone else, Rika," Suzie said, as a powerful glowing light appeared.

"Don't go back to America, okay? People will miss you again," Mako said.

"Especially Ryo. So don't get on that plane tomorrow, okay?" Ai said, winking.

The three of them disappeared as the light started fade. As soon as they vanished, the TV was turned on by Renamon, who had no idea of what just went on.

"Sherry Tins here, with an update on the Shinjuku bridge saga. We have found the identification of the three unknown teenagers. They were recognized as Ai and Mako insert last name here and Suzie Wong. The bodies have been sent to a mortuary where they can be kept safe until their proper burial. Families and friends of these three are devastated with the news…" the TV blared.

"So that's how they died," Rika said to herself.

"Rika, did you here that? Ai, Suzie, and Mako are dead. Do you think Henry is alright," Renamon said.

"I don't know, but there's one way to find out," Rika said, once again running out the door.

'Hmm, I wonder if the group still have the meetings at the hideout,' Rika thought.

"Renamon, you think you can take me over to Guilmon's old hideout?" Rika asked.

'Gosh, I feel like I lost a sister," Rika thought in her mind, as they flew from tree top to tree top.

When they got there, Rika saw everyone. She noticed that Henry was crying and everyone else was trying to comfort him.

"She's gone, she's really gone," Henry cried.

"Don't worry, it'll pass," Takato said.

"I should've been there with her, then this wouldn't have happened," Henry choked out.

"A truck hit the car, Henry. There's nothing you could've done to prevent this, anyway," Alice said, using a more logical sense.

The group looked at Alice and then saw Rika.

"Hey," Rika said, walking up to the group.

Guilmon sniffed the air and said, "It's Rika and Renamon!"

"Hey Toots. I thought I saw ya the other day," Impmon said, trying to hide his red, tear-covered face.

"I'm sorry about Ai, Mako, and Suzie. I saw it on the news," Rika said.

"Why would you care, Rika. Why? You didn't care to tell us when you left," Takato said, angrily.

Taken back by this, Rika said, "Fine, if you don't want me here, I'll leave. Tomorrow's the day I go back, anyways."

Everything paused for a moment, before Jeri ran up to Rika to hug her.

"Please, don't go back, Rika. Don't you think it's bad enough to lose three of the youngest tamers?" Jeri said, bursting out into tears.

"Yeah, Rika. Stay with us," Henry said, wiping his tears.

"I gotta tell ya how much I missed being beat up by you," Kazu said.

"Yeah, it was quite entertaining those days," Kenta said.

As this went on, another day was ending and as the sun started to set, a large crowd of people gathered around the tamers, digimon, and hideout, holding out candles.

Looking at this, Henry's teary eyes were no more. He saw all the people that have come to do a candlelight vigil for his beloved sister, Suzie, Ai, and Mako. He was amazed of how many people came. You could here distant voices saying, "if it weren't for all of you, we wouldn't be here," "thank you," and, "sorry for your loss."

Rika looked at all the people, and then at her watch. She was still not convinced of staying here in West Shinjuku. She walked up to the others.

"Sorry guys, I have a plane to catch tomorrow. I'll see you guys again someday," Rika said, waving.

"Stop, Rika!" were the first words that came out Ryo, throughout the time she was there, "don't leave, again. We'll miss you."

"No, I know I'm not wanted here," Rika said, sadly, as she continued walking.

She continued until she felt a light tug on her jacket. She looked down and saw Richard holding a candle in one hand and clutching Rika's jacket with the other.

"Please. Rika don't go. I wanted to talk to you more. I just met you," Richard said, his eyes welling up with tears.

Rika kneeled down and looked into Richard's brown eyes. She patted his head, smiled weakly and said, "I'm sorry, kiddo."

She got up and walked off again, away from the crowd and her friends.

Rika made it back to the complex and went into her room. She got out her duffle bag and put in everything she had brought with her.

"Hmm…maybe I'll stop by the old house tomorrow to pick up a few things, before I leave Japan again," Rika said to herself.

Once she gathered all her things, she scoped the place to see if she forgot anything. Then she found an envelope on the table that read, "To Rika, Letter From Heaven." At this, Rika's eyes widened, and gazed at it before opening it. She tore the top part of the envelope and read the piece of paper that was there.

_Hi Rika, _

_Obviously, it's Ai, Mako, and me, Suzie. Since we had to "go" we never got to explain why you had to come here, and knowing you, you need explainations for everything. The angels up here told us that we needed to do one good deed to get into heaven. Well, since we wanted to go to heaven, we thought of you and Ryo. They said that until our mission were accomplished, our bodies and our souls wouldn't rest in peace. So basically, backing out wasn't an option for us. We tried everything to lead you to Ryo. I guess we would have to confess that we are the ones that switched the numbers on the doors. Sorry! I want to thank you for keeping the apartment clean, by the way. _

_I hope you and Ryo will stay together and we really hope you don't leave the country for the sake of everyone, especially Ryo. We can tell that you enjoy staying in West Shinjuku rather than staying in America. Well thanks a bunch, for lettingour body and soul be free. If you don't stay, just remember that wherever you go, you'll always have your friends. Well, gotta fly. We bid you good luck and farewell._

_Angels,_

_Ai, Mako, and Suzie_

_P.S. Your mother and grandmother says hi and sends you many hugs and kisses._

After reading this, Rika was won over and decided to stay.

'Hmm…I guess I do like staying here more than New York,' Rika thought, smiling at the thought.

She took her bag and was about to open the door, until someone knocked on it. She opened it and saw Henry with Richard sleeping in his arms.

"Hey Rika," Henry said, looking at her glumly.

"How'd you know I was staying here?" Rika asked.

"Um…Ryo told us. Look, you're really not leaving, are you?" Henry asked.

"No, I changed my mind. Su—I mean someone finally got me to realize that I have the best friends I could have here," Rika answered, with a reassuring smile.

"You're staying?" Richard asked, waking up, and jumping down from Henry's arms to hug Rika.

"You got it, kiddo," Rika said, hugging the little boy, "well I'm gonna go to my old house so I'll see you guys later."

"Mr. Wong, can I stay with Rika tonight? Please?" Richard asked.

"That's up to Rika. Rika, is it okay if he can stay with you tonight?" Henry asked.

"Sure," Rika said.

"Yay!" Richard said.

"Now, don't bother her too much, okay" Henry said.

"Okay," Richard answered.

"I'll come by tomorrow to pick him up, so I can take him to Riley," Henry said, looking at Rika.

"Okay," Rika said, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Oh, and Rika," Henry said.

"Huh?" Rika asked turning around.

"Glad you decided to stay," Henry said, smiling.

"I'm glad, too" Rika answered, as she and Richard walked out of the building.

When they made it to Rika's old neighborhood, Rika saw Richard yawn and looked at her watch.

"Must be past your bedtime," Rika said, looking down at Richard.

Richard nodded and yawned again.

"Here, I'll give you a ride," Rika said, as she kneeled down.

Richard climbed on her back. Rika grabbed her duffle bag and continued walking towards her house.

By the time Rika got to her house, Richard was already sound asleep. Rika smiled and let herself into the house. She took her shoes off and dropped her bag near the door.

She took Richard into Rika's grandmother's bedroom and set him down on the bed. She took his shoes off and tucked him in bed.

She walked out, whispering a "good night," closed the door and sighed.

"It's great to be back."

* * *

DF103 – So what'd you think…good, bad, weird? Hope you enjoyed it…and don't forget about my sequel for this fic…I dunno about the title yet…but oh well…please review and ket me know what you think about this fic…till my next fic…PEACE…… 


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